Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A system comprising: a memory; at least one processor in data communication with the memory; and a reporting component executable by the at least processor and configured to: establish schedule information, the schedule information including at least one company-wide schedule applicable to a plurality of users of a company, the at least one company-wide schedule specifying an expense report generation date indicative of a date on which expense reports are to be generated and at least one reminder action associated with the expense reports to communicate to the plurality of users; store the schedule information including the at least one company-wide schedule in a data store; send at least one reminder to the plurality of users prior to the expense report generation date; automatically generate, on the stored expense report generation date, a plurality of expense reports respectively corresponding to the plurality of users for whom the functionality is enabled; and a user interface component configured to: generate a user interface display element, wherein the user interface display element is responsive to selection in a user interface, and when selected in the user interface activates automatic report generation functions on the system for the plurality of users, wherein the system is further configured to communicate an object containing at least a respective expense report associated with respective users of the plurality of users defined by the company-wide schedule.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface component is further configured to generate at least one additional user interface display element, wherein the at least one additional user interface display element is responsive to selection in the user interface, and when selected in the user interface, activates communication functions on the system for the plurality of users for communicating the at least one reminder.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the schedule information includes schedule information specifying a date relative to the expense report generation date and the reporting component is configured to send the at least one reminder on the date relative to the expense report generation date.
This invention relates to expense management systems that automate the generation and submission of expense reports. The problem addressed is the inefficiency and delays in expense reporting, where employees often forget to submit reports or miss deadlines, leading to administrative burdens and financial tracking issues. The system includes a reporting component that generates expense reports based on user activity, such as purchases or travel, and tracks the generation date of each report. The system also includes schedule information that specifies a date relative to the expense report generation date, such as a fixed number of days after the report is created. The reporting component is configured to send automated reminders to users on the specified date, ensuring timely submission of expense reports. This reduces manual tracking and improves compliance with reporting deadlines. The system may also include additional features, such as integrating with financial systems to verify expenses, allowing users to edit reports before submission, and generating reports in standardized formats. The reminders can be sent via email, notifications, or other communication channels to ensure users are promptly alerted. By automating the reminder process, the system minimizes missed deadlines and streamlines expense reporting workflows.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one reminder includes a plurality of reminders and the reporting component is configured to send the at least one reminder at least in part by sending one or more reminders of the plurality of reminders after the expense report generation date.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the schedule information includes schedule information specifying a date relative to the expense report generation date and the reporting component is configured to send the one or more reminders on the date relative to the expense report generation date.
This invention relates to expense management systems that automate the process of sending reminders to users to submit expense reports. The system addresses the problem of missed or delayed expense report submissions by providing configurable reminders based on predefined schedules. The system includes a reporting component that generates and sends reminders to users, ensuring timely submission of expense reports. The schedule information specifies a date relative to the expense report generation date, allowing the system to send reminders on a specific date after the report is generated. This ensures that users are reminded at the appropriate time, reducing administrative overhead and improving compliance with reporting deadlines. The system may also include additional components for tracking expenses, validating submissions, and integrating with financial systems. The invention enhances efficiency in expense management by automating reminder processes, reducing manual intervention, and ensuring consistent adherence to reporting schedules.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the schedule information further includes at least one employee-specific schedule specifying an employee-specific expense report generation date for at least one employee user and the reporting component is further configured to generate, on the employee-specific expense report generation date, at least one expense report corresponding to the at least one employee user.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the schedule information includes date adjustment information specifying an adjustment date defining a period of time for expenses to include in an automatically generated expense report, and wherein automatically generating the expense report comprises: identifying one or more transactions to include in the expense report based on the date adjustment information; including the identified one or more transactions in the expense report; and excluding one or more transactions meeting the company-wide schedule and the date on which the expense reports are to be generated based on the date adjustment information.
8. A method for managing automatic generation of expense reports using a computer system, the method comprising: executing, by the computer system, a reporting component configured to establish schedule information, the schedule information including at least one company-wide schedule applicable to a plurality of users of a company, the at least one company-wide schedule specifying an expense report generation date indicative of a date on which the expense reports are to be generated and at least one reminder action associated with the expense reports to communicate to the plurality of users; storing the schedule information including the at least one company-wide schedule in a data store; sending at least one reminder to the plurality of users prior to the expense report generation date; and automatically generating, on the expense report generation date, a plurality of expense reports respectively corresponding to the plurality of users for whom the functionality is enabled; generating a user interface display element, wherein the user interface display element is responsive to selection in a user interface, and when selected in the user interface, activates automatic report generation functions on the system for the plurality of users; and communicating an object containing at least a respective expense report associated with respective users of the plurality of users defined by the company-wide schedule.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises generating at least one additional display element, wherein the at least one additional user interface display element is responsive to selection in the user interface, and when selected in the user interface, activates communication functions on the system for the plurality of users for communicating the at least one reminder.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein storing the schedule information includes storing schedule information specifying a date relative to the expense report generation date and sending the at least one reminder includes sending the at least one reminder on the date relative to the expense report generation date.
This invention relates to expense report management systems, specifically improving the process of sending reminders to users to submit expense reports. The problem addressed is the inefficiency and delays in expense reporting due to missed deadlines, which can disrupt financial tracking and reimbursement processes. The solution involves a system that automatically sends reminders to users based on a predefined schedule relative to the date when an expense report is generated. The schedule information is stored in a way that specifies a date relative to the expense report generation date, ensuring reminders are sent at the correct time. For example, if an expense report is generated on January 1st, a reminder could be set to send on January 15th, which is 14 days later. The system dynamically calculates the reminder date based on the stored schedule information and the original report generation date, ensuring timely and accurate notifications. This approach eliminates manual tracking and reduces the likelihood of missed deadlines, improving overall expense reporting efficiency. The method can be integrated into existing financial management software or standalone expense tracking applications.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein sending the at least one reminder includes sending one or more reminders after the expense report generation date.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein storing the schedule information includes storing schedule information specifying a date relative to the expense report generation date and sending the one or more reminders includes sending the one or more reminders on the date relative to the expense report generation date.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein storing the schedule information includes storing schedule information including the at least one company-wide schedule and at least one employee-specific schedule specifying an employee-specific expense report generation date for at least one employee user and the method further comprises generating, on the employee-specific expense report generation date, at least one expense report corresponding to the at least one employee user.
This invention relates to automated expense report generation systems, specifically for managing and generating expense reports based on predefined schedules. The system addresses the problem of manual expense reporting, which is time-consuming and prone to errors, by automating the process according to company-wide and employee-specific schedules. The method involves storing schedule information that includes both company-wide schedules (e.g., monthly or quarterly reporting deadlines) and employee-specific schedules (e.g., individual reporting dates for employees). The system then automatically generates expense reports on the specified dates for each employee, ensuring timely and consistent reporting without manual intervention. This approach reduces administrative burden, improves compliance, and minimizes delays in expense processing. The system may also integrate with existing expense management tools, allowing for seamless data retrieval and report generation. By automating the scheduling and generation of expense reports, the invention streamlines financial workflows and enhances accuracy in expense tracking. The method is particularly useful for organizations with large workforces or complex expense reporting requirements, where manual processes would be inefficient.
14. The method of claim 8 , wherein storing the schedule information includes storing schedule information including date adjustment information defining a period of time for expenses to include in an automatically generated expense report, and wherein automatically generating the expense report comprises: identifying one or more transactions to include in the expense report based on the date adjustment information; including the identified one or more transactions in the expense report; and excluding one or more transactions meeting the company-wide schedule and the date on which the expense reports are to be generated based on the date adjustment information.
15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing sequences of computer executable instructions to implement a method for managing automatic generation of expense reports, the sequences of instructions including instructions to: establish schedule information, the schedule information including at least one company-wide schedule applicable to a plurality of users of a company, the at least one company-wide schedule specifying an expense report generation date indicative of a date on which the expense reports are to be generated and at least one reminder action associated with the expense reports to communicate to the plurality of users; store the schedule information including the at least one company-wide schedule in a data store; send at least one reminder to the plurality of users prior to the expense report generation date; automatically generate, on the stored expense report generation date, a plurality of expense reports respectively corresponding to the plurality of users for whom the functionality is enabled; generate a user interface display element, wherein the user interface display element is responsive to selection in a user interface, and when selected in the user interface, activates automatic report generation functions on the system for the plurality of users; and communicate an object containing at least a respective expense report associated with respective users of the plurality of users defined by the company-wide schedule.
16. The computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions are further configured to generate at least one additional user interface display element, wherein the at least one additional user interface display element is responsive to selection in the user interface, and when selected in the user interface, trigger communication functions on the system for the plurality of users for communicating the at least one reminder.
17. The computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions to store the schedule information include instructions to store schedule information specifying a date relative to the expense report generation date and the instructions to send the at least one reminder include instructions to send the at least one reminder on the date relative to the expense report generation date.
18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface display element comprises a toggle display, and selection of the toggle display is configured to activate or deactivate automatic report generation function for at least one user of the plurality of users.
19. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises displaying a user interface display element including a toggle display, and activating or deactivating automatic report generation function for at least one user of the plurality of users responsive to selection of the toggle display in the user interface.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein activating or deactivating automatic report generation function for the at least one user comprises activating or deactivating the automatic report generation function based on at least one role of the at least one user at the company.
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February 2, 2021
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